Vol. 398 No. 8
76 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the nomination by the Government of the National Park, Killarney as a Biosphere Reserve which is a special status awarded by UNESCO, in view of the proposal to designate part of this area as a golf course.
The proposed use of a small area within Killarney National Park as part of a golf course is fully compatible with the status of the park as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. UNESCO policies state explicitly that biosphere reserves, in addition to containing a core zone where ecosystems are fully protected, should also contain other zones where natural ecosystems have been modified for different forms of land use including timber production and grazing, or otherwise altered by human activities. In a region where tourism is a mainstay of the economy it is quite reasonable that tourism-related recreation should be accommodated within part of a biosphere reserve. The area in question will continue to be grazed by red deer and to contribute to nature conservation within the national park and biosphere reserve.
